Gragnano, Gena Totaro's daughter changes her story before the investigating judge: "I told her to run, I didn't mean to kill her."

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Gragnano Gena Totaro's Daughter Changes Her Version in Front of the Investigating Judge I Told Her to Run Away I Didn't Want to Kill Her 2026 08 31

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Gragnano – "I didn't want to kill my mother, I told her to run away," Francesca Buonopane, 53, defended herself during pre-trial detention at Secondigliano prison. She is charged with voluntary manslaughter and attempted arson in the death of her mother, 75-year-old Gena Totaro, who was engulfed in flames Friday afternoon in their Gragnano apartment.

At the end of the hearing, the preliminary investigations judge reserved his decision on whether to confirm the arrest warrant issued by the Torre Annunziata Public Prosecutor's Office.

The dynamics and version of the “voices”

The suspect admitted to starting the fire, but denied any intent to kill. According to her reconstruction, guided by alleged "voices" heard during the afternoon, she cut the gas pipe connected to the kitchen stove with scissors, then set it alight with a lighter. Her elderly mother, who intervened in a desperate attempt to put out the blaze, was apparently hit by a violent backfire.

The crux of the expertise

Defense attorney Aldo D'Apuzzo has already announced a request for a psychiatric evaluation to determine the 53-year-old's mental capacity at the time of the incident, suggesting she may have suffered from undiagnosed mental disorders. Investigators coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office, however, remain focused on criminal liability. Decisive forensic findings are expected from the autopsy results, which will be performed on the 75-year-old's body before the funeral can be held.